We appreciate the opportunity to respond to a letter on our recent publication.1 The authors postulate that the increase in hip fracture risk in nursing homes observed in our study could have been due to more severe falls, as “[p]atients who do not receive benzodiazepines . . . may perform a greater number of unassisted ADLs.”

This is an interesting hypothesis that warrants further investigation and is consistent with our findings. More importantly, this letter emphasizes the importance of giving careful consideration to the intended as well as the unintended consequences of any new health care policy.